Vikings Should Hire Ryan Longwell to Coach Kickers

My son took kicking lessons for a while, simply because he was the only one on his youth team that had any kind of success at it.  It is VERY tough.

Youre jab-stepping at a target that isn't there yet, the snap, hold have to be done within just a couple seconds before you plant and swing through.  Depending on which hash the ball is on can "angle" the field, and kickers (like batters in Baseball) have a particular side and distance that is in their wheelhouse.
So much can go wrong in a short time, plant foot placement, head down, follow through.  it is difficult.
That being said if you are a PAID PROFESSIONAL, you need to deliver. Period.

@"Cricket" said: https://fullpresscoverage.com/2018/09/18/ryan-longwell/

Lengthy article, but worth the read. Here's just a bit of it.

Vikings Should Hire Ryan Longwell to Coach Kickers

The Minnesota Vikings should hire Ryan Longwell to coach place-kickers.
The team needs a kicker whisperer in the worst way. Poor place-kicking cost Mike Zimmer’s Vikings a playoff win against Seattle a few years ago. Poor kicking cost the Vikings a divisional road win in Green Bay a few days ago.
A few years or a few days. It can’t happen again if the Vikings are serious about winning the Super Bowl.

Longwell appeared on the Mackey and Judd radio show Monday. Thirty minutes into the show, Judd Zulgad and Manny Hill got Longwell on the line to talk place-kicking. Longwell’s kicking intellect split the uprights.

When asked about the Vikings recurring problems with place-kickers, Longwell said the Vikings place-kicking problems are self-inflicted: “To have Dan Bailey as their fifth kicker in six seasons to me says a lot more about approach than it does about the . It goes back to the wrong words and the wrong kind of approach.”

“There’s a lot pressure on kickers,” Longwell said. “It’s not like kicking in college. is a whole different animal. A lot of these kids are set up for disaster.” Longwell said established NFL kickers like Robbie Gould, Phil Dawson and Adam Vinatieri have differing kicking styles. All, however, had similar mental approaches that kept their stroke smooth. “Their head position and eye position is absolutely perfect to allow the leg to swing through and start the ball where you are aiming,” Longwell said. “If you can’t start the ball where you are aiming, you got no chance.”

“There’s no such thing as an easy kick and there’s no such thing as a chip shot,” Longwell said. “The best of the best and the best coaches know how to keep the calm and keep everything in rhythm. When you miss one, there’s no panic on the next one. You still slow it back down. When you speed up, you try to swing harder. When you swing harder, your leg comes through, your head comes down lower, you keep your eyes on the ball too long. Everything jammed. And when everything jammed going faster, kicks miss high and right or they miss low left. That’s one thing most coaches don’t understand. These high school and college coaches go to kicking camps that are taught how to kick, but they’re not taught how to be a kicker.”

Zulgad asked Longwell if the Vikings called him and asked him to join the team as a kicking consultant, would he bite? “I think I could help the cause,” Longwell said. “ better be some guy whose kicked before and not some guy who has never kicked a football in his life.”

So Longwell agrees with me,  it's likely an issue with the coaches.  Yes it's ultimately on the kicker to make the kick. But there is something off in how this staff handles their kickers.

Silly article. You'll find that the vast majority, if not all of the special teams coaches in the NFL have never been kickers. Or punters. Longwell is cherry picking here big time, IMO. Kick the football thru the uprights, its mental. Some guys have the stones for it and many others don't.

When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

Locke's inability to put the ball inside the 15. Getting fooled on fakes more often than stopping them.

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

Locke's inability to put the ball inside the 15. Getting fooled on fakes more often than stopping them.

@"MaroonBells" said:

A shot at Priefer? 

@"Purplewhizz" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

Locke's inability to put the ball inside the 15. Getting fooled on fakes more often than stopping them.

So those items have you holding your breath?  The only things that have me holding my breath on special teams are missed field goals and extra points.

@"Scoog" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

Locke's inability to put the ball inside the 15. Getting fooled on fakes more often than stopping them.

So those items have you holding your breath?  The only things that have me holding my breath on special teams are missed field goals and extra points.

In 2018, ST cost us half a victory with 3 missed FG

In 2016, we lost 15-17 to Dallas. 7 of Dallas's points came because of a fumbled punt inside our 10
In 2016, we lost in OT to Detroit.  We had a FG blocked in regulation
In 2015 post-season, we lost to Seattle on a missed 27 yard FG
In 2015, we lost to Denver 20-23 in a game that included a missed 38 yard FG
In 2013, we lost to Cleveland 27-31 in a game that included a FG after a 30 some yard fake punt and a touchdown after locke punted only 35 yards from our 20.
Those are the games off the top of my head I remember being pissed at Priefer squad afterwards that yeah, makes me hold my breath about our special teams. They have a damn good ability to lose us close games.

I think our ST have been pretty decent overall during Priefer's tenure.  That said I don't think he's got the right mindset to develop kickers or punters, and he hasn't really developed a kicker/punter since he's got here.  I think Bailey or another veteran guy makes a lot of sense for this team, because they're already developed and they already have their confidence.  But for younger guys who need to be molded, I think that having a sub-coach that can take his abrasiveness and translate it into a more constructive form would be beneficial.

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"Purplewhizz" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"Scoog" said:

@"StickyBun" said:

@"AGRforever" said: When is the last time you didnt hold your breath any time the vikings special teams was on the field. its seemed like coaches knew they could pull off a teick special team play on us at will over the past years. 

The Vikings were ranked #1 last year for special teams:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-final-2017-nfl-special-teams-rankings

And yet in spite of that ranking, AGR's point still stands.  There have been plenty of games lost under Priefer because his squad failed to do their basic job. So it's very hard for me to remember the last time I didn't hold my breath when our ST squad was on the field.

Sometimes, focusing on just the measurables means you come to the wrong conclusion.

How so? Other than missed FGs? Failed to do 'basic job'? I remember more good special teams plays than bad. 

Locke's inability to put the ball inside the 15. Getting fooled on fakes more often than stopping them.

So those items have you holding your breath?  The only things that have me holding my breath on special teams are missed field goals and extra points.

In 2018, ST cost us half a victory with 3 missed FG

In 2016, we lost 15-17 to Dallas. 7 of Dallas's points came because of a fumbled punt inside our 10
In 2016, we lost in OT to Detroit.  We had a FG blocked in regulation
In 2015 post-season, we lost to Seattle on a missed 27 yard FG
In 2015, we lost to Denver 20-23 in a game that included a missed 38 yard FG
In 2013, we lost to Cleveland 27-31 in a game that included a FG after a 30 some yard fake punt and a touchdown after locke punted only 35 yards from our 20.
Those are the games off the top of my head I remember being pissed at Priefer squad afterwards that yeah, makes me hold my breath about our special teams. They have a damn good ability to lose us close games.

I'm with you on the missed FGs....I think we all are. But how is that the special teams coach's fault? Its not. The rest? Take a look around the league, its not so bad. And basically anomalies. A fumbled punt, a blocked FG and a fake punt in 5 years?